Personify
by TheRookieKing412
Summary: Fakiru Week 2019, Personify. Pregnancy au. In which Ahiru imagines her life is perfect but just missing one tiny, little thing.
1. Sidewalk

When she looked at her life, it was perfect, there was no blemish.

She lived out her dream of being a ballet teacher.

She had a large family that… loved her.

She worked with her two closest friends, now married, now starting a family of their own.

And yet…

There was a loneliness that surrounded her.

Even on her best days, she still felt the sharp pang, there was a hole in her heart that she needed to fix, and then she found it.

"What do you think?" Rue had asked her. She was tired and sweaty, but she still glowed, she still smiled, and she was proud.

Ahiru grinned and couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face. "He's perfect."

"Isn't he?" Rue's hand tightened around Mytho's.

He was asleep now, but Ahiru knew that this was what she needed.

Someone of her own.

She didn't tell Rue just yet, and she wanted to make sure she was certain about this, that it wasn't just baby fever, but every time she held Dawid, and every time he smiled up at her, it was everything she needed.

She waited six months to tell Rue.

Rue blinked her eyes at Ahiru. "You're joking."

Ahiru smiled and shook her head. "I think it's a great idea, I'm financially stable, my place has an extra room."

"But- but don't you want to wait until you find Mr. Right?" Rue sputtered. It was rare for Rue to be at a loss for words, and Ahiru almost felt bad for it.

"I don't really want love from a man as much as I want love from a child. My child."

Rue sputtered again but Dawid called for her and she picked him up out of his stoller. With his little hand, he pulled her sunhat off her head and she laughed. "Silly little boy, that's not yours." Rue met Ahiru's gaze again, a certain clarity in her eyes. "Oh. Oh, Ahiru I understand."

"I'll find love on my own time."

"So, who then? Not just some random donor at the sperm bank?" Rue grimaced.

"Well, I'd like to know him but right now…" Ahiru blanched, "I only know three men."

"You're not using my husband's-"

"I wasn't going to!" Ahiru's face flushed with color and she waved her arms wildly.

Rue snickered, "relax, I'm kidding. Autor and Femio then?"

"No offense to them, but I don't really want either them to be the father of my child."

They talked for a bit longer, but neither could come up with a viable subject, and soon Rue had to leave to put Dawid down for a nap, leaving Ahiru to her own devices.

She walked to the park, to sit down by the lake and the ducks swam to her, knowing her instantly.

They were even so brave as to hop onto the bench and on her lap, quaking at her and nibbling at her skirt.

She stayed longer than she should have, petting the ducks absentmindedly and letting them eat from her hand.

She visited the bathroom before she left, washing her hands twice, and made the journey back to her apartment.

Maybe Rue was right, maybe she should wait until she met someone, settled down and got married.

"But I don't want to wait that long!" She said to no one but herself. Out of the park, she pressed the button that would let her walk across the street.

A man stepped up next to her, pressing the button for himself, he was looking at his phone, not paying attention to the lights.

She took a step forward, to give him more space, but he was paying attention to her, and started to walk across the street.

Ahiru watched as he stepped into the street and a large truck came barreling down the street.

"Watch out!" She yelled, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back into the sidewalk.

"Hey!" He shouted back, and the edge of his heel caught the sidewalk and he fell.

Into her.

"Ow." She grimaced, rubbing the back of her head. "Are you okay?"

He looked over at her, both spread out on the sidewalk and he was quick to stand. Lending her a hand.

She crashed into his chest, and his immediate response was to wrap an arm around her.

He was tall, and his eyes a pale green.

"I'm fine." He said. "You saved my life."

"Oh I'm not so-"

"No, I wasn't paying attention, one more step and-" He cleared his throat, and realizing he still held her, his face grew red, but his hands didn't move to release her. "I owe you my life, what can I do to repay you?"

And perhaps she was just caught up in the moment, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she watched a man nearly get run over before she actually saved him. She saved him! Or maybe it was the color of his eyes, like sunlight poking through green leaves, but instead of saying something rational, or even just telling him it was no big deal and walk away, she said:

"Can I have your children?"

Surprisingly, he didn't call her crazy and walk away, and after a few moments of both of them glowing red from the tips of their ears to their very toes, he gave her a chance to explain.

"Well you see I'm 25, and I'm a ballet teacher, and my life should be good, but it isn't and I feel like there's something missing from my life, and my two friends just had a baby together, and every time I hold him it makes my heart hurt and I yearn for a child of my own, but I'm not married, and I only know three men in my life, two of them are gay and the other is my friend's husband so I can't use him, and I don't really trust the donors at normal sper- ah. Sper. Ahem, the personification of a person banks. Wait what? So yeah, I don't have very many options, and I really shouldn't have said that, I don't know you and you don't know me, you could be a weird psycho for all I know!" She paused. "Not that I'm calling you one! But you don't know me either and asking random people for the personification of themselves on the street is really weird and I'm sure this isn't a very good first impression!"

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Okay, breath. Just hold on a second. Let me think."

She took in a large gulp of air while he contemplated, his brow furrowed, his eyes hard, his mouth moving slightly as he went over it in his head.

"Alright." He said, he pulled away, turning to look away from her.

"What?"

"A life for a life."

"What!"

"I'd like to get to know you a bit first."

He invited her to dinner and she got to know him.

Fakir, his name was Fakir, he moved to Berlin from a small town in south Germany due to his friend pestering him to move.

"I don't have any family down there. He just doesn't want me to be alone."

And she told him about herself, that she lived here all her life, her love of ballet, the two friends she met in college, the small crush she had on both of them before they fell for each other.

"I'm happy for them, I really am. I just want what's best for them."

And after a while she said: "you don't have to stay or be involved if you don't want to. I'm fully capable of handling everything, and if you feel like this would ruin your life, you don't have to worry about it."

"If I thought it would ruin my life, I wouldn't have said yes, would I?"

It made her blush, but she smiled. She gave him her phone number so she could set up an appointment, and she left.

It was strange.

And then Friday came.

"Do I have to go?" Ahiru whines as Rue changed her into a short dress that reached her mid thigh.

"It's a welcome to Berlin party for Mytho's friend. He just moved here and Mytho wants him to feel welcome."

"Can I wear flats?"

Rue rolled her eyes. "Yes, you may wear flats."

Ahiru grinned, at least she didn't have to worry about her ankles snapping tonight.

"Ready?" Mytho asked, knocking on the door.

"Yes."

"I really hope you like him, he's my oldest friend."

"And yet he wasn't at our wedding?"

"I already told you why he couldn't come."

Rue smirked and shook her head before kissing Mytho's cheek. "Let's go."

They said goodbye to Dawid and his babysitter, and left to meet Mytho's friend.

They parked in an underground parking garage under the apartments and made their way up, but just when they got to the door, Ahiru groaned.

"I forgot my phone in the car."

Mytho gave her the keys "you remember how to get back here?"

"Yes, fourth floor, apartment B."

She raced back to the elevator, bounced impatiently on her toes until the elevator reached the parking lot floor, before shooting out of the doors and racing to Mytho's car, where she unlocked the back door and searched the car floor.

"Oh thank goodness."

She looked at her phone, she had a message from Fakir.

:Don't get drunk at that party, you set the appointment for tomorrow.

She smiled, making her way back up to the fourth floor.

:I'm a big lightweight, Rue will make sure I don't go overboard :p.

She knocked on the door and it was opened by Rue.

"Oh Ahiru, I have a perfect candidate for the next step in your life." Rue grabbed her hand and lead her inside. "He's a bit grouchy, but your children would have the most beautiful eyes."

Mytho and his friend stood in the kitchen. Their backs to the two women.

"Mytho, dear, introduce your friend to mine."

"Of course." Mytho turned, and once his friend did, Ahiru nearly screamed.

She settled for laughing instead.

"Oh no! It's you!"

Before her, standing next to Mytho, his friend, his childhood friend, his oldest friend!

Was the man she had saved from getting killed.

"Ahiru." He said, not able to keep a straight face himself.

"Wait, you know each other?" Rue asked.

Ahiru nodded, but her laughter stopped, she hadn't told Rue or Mytho about what they had agreed to do, nor did she want to.

Not until she took a test and it read positive.

"I met her the first day I came here." Fakir said. "Like an idiot, I walked out into traffic and she pulled me back before I got crushed by an oncoming truck."

"Oh my." Mytho said.

"Never mind," Rue said, leaning to whisper in Ahiru's ear. "You don't want that kind of stupid running in your family."

Ahiru smiled, her eyes met Fakir's and she gave him a silent thank you, and for just a moment, he flashed her a small smile.

They meet the next morning and she couldn't stop from laughing again.

And when they walked out of the doctor's office she felt different.

He took her out to lunch.

"When do you plan on telling them?"

"When a test comes back positive." She picked at her lunch, sipping at a glass of lemonade.

"How long does it take?"

"I have to miss my-" she blushed, and cleared her throat.

"Right. So how long do you have to wait?"

"Two weeks."

And then two weeks came.

She was nervous, but she wanted to be at home when she took it, that didn't stop her from buying a test at lunch and placing it in her purse, and at the end of the day, as long as it was, she got home, threw herself on the couch and held the package in her hand.

:Are you home yet?

:yes

He didn't respond, but she didn't mind, she was nervous, she wasn't sure if what he would say would make her feel better.

:Do you want me to be there?

:I only live a few minutes away

She thought she wanted to be alone, but wasn't this whole process so she wouldn't be alone?

:could you?

Ahiru's phone flashed but she didn't even pick it up, and she didn't even realize how fast time flies when you stare at a little box with nothing more than a stick inside because he was here now, knocking at her door.

"Hey." He said, when she opened the door and let him inside. "I brought you water." He handed her a water bottle that was still frosty on the outside. "I realized when I got in the car that you have water here, but-"

"Thank you." She said. "I'll be honest, I hadn't drunk any yet."

She opened it, her tongue suddenly dry, and downed it all.

"Okay I'll be back!"

She went into the bathroom and stayed there for five minutes, conducting the test. She opened the door.

"Fakir?"

"Yes?"

"I can't look at it."

He sighed but got off her couch.

She stood in the bathroom, the pregnancy test resting on the counter and her hands covering her eyes.

"What's negative?" He asked, preferring not to touch it.

"Um, it's one line."

"And positive?"

"Two."

"Alright." Fakir nodded. "It's positive."

"It's positive?" Her hands left her eyes and she looked down at the test. "It's positive." Her head whipped around to face Fakir, his smile faint. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything!" She wrapped her arms around his middle, and he returned in kind, before she abruptly pulled away. "We have to tell people now."

"I have to tell Charon. And Raetsel." He slapped a palm to his forehead.

"Who are they?" She asked, she thought he didn't have any family.

"Charon took care of me after my parents died, and he was already taking care of Raetsel."

"O-oh."

"We'll take care of Rue and Mytho first."

And so, Mytho and Rue sat across from Ahiru and Fakir at her dinner table.

"So, I'm pregnant. Fakir's the father."

Mytho looked at Fakir in amazement, "Fakir I didn't think you moved so quickly."

"No no no no no no no! It's not like that!"

"Mytho, dear, Ahiru and Fakir didn't have sex-"

"Rue!"

"She's been looking for a sperm donor for the past few weeks."

Mytho turned back to the two, both red in the face. "And you asked Fakir?"

Ahiru nodded.

"Well, I am absolutely delighted. My two best friends, having a baby together." Mytho grinned, taking it well, but Ahiru looked to Rue and saw a less pleasant expression.

"Everything is going to be fine." Ahiru reached out across the table, her hand taking Rue's. "And Fakir even wants to be a part of it."

"A part of it?" Rue quirked a brow.

"Raising the baby. I thought…" Ahiru's hand fell limp in Rue's, her head tilted to the side. "I thought you were okay this."

"I am, I'm just a little upset that you didn't tell me you found someone." Rue's eyes glared at Fakir.

"I know, but what if nothing happened? And it was negative? Then telling you would have been for nothing."

"So, now what?"

Ahiru looked over at Fakir, a quick glance, but it told her that he was looking at her as well.

"Now I'm pregnant."

:did you tell Raetsel and Charon yet :p?

:Not yet, you?

:I called my great aunt first and she's telling everybody now.

:I'm on the phone with my great aunt on my dad's side rn

:Shouldn't you be talking with her then?

:no

:she's being a little insulting

:What?

:she's just saying how I should have waited for marriage

:a lot of my aunties don't believe I did this medically.

:What is she saying?

:Ahiru?

:sorry

:nothing good.

:she said she had to call my other aunt and gave me a kiss through the phone.

:things are bad.

:Do you want to talk about it?

Did she? She didn't really want to bother him with her problems. She would just have to tell Rue, or someone else. But not Fakir, he was just being polite.

:I still have more aunties to call :)

:ttyl?

:Sure. I'll give Raetsel a call.

"Oh Ahiru, is that you, how are you, dear?"

"I'm good Auntie, how are the dogs?"

"Oh splendid. Did you have something to tell me?"

Ahiru grimaced. She must have gotten a call already. "I have good news!"

"Well, spit it out already."

"I'm pregnant. But, I'm not a floozy, I didn't sleep with anybody, I went through a medical procedure and had it done by a female doctor."

"Aha! I told Ruthie but she didn't believe me. Who's the guy?"

Ahiru held her pillow to her chest. "There is no guy."

"Oh, then who gave you the sperm?"

Ahiru quacked, but covered her mouth. "A friend."

"Ooh, handsome is he? I bet you have a blush on your face, wait! Let me facetime you just to see how pink your little ears are."

"Okay I have to go! I smell something burning, bye!"

"Ahiru, you don't coo-"

Ahiru tapped the red phone icon and fell back. That was the last auntie on dad's side.

Now mom's.

:I told Raetsel; she would like to meet you. But I told her that was up to you.

:I would love to! Does she live here?

:The city over. You don't have to if you don't want to.

:She can be overbearing at times.

:no. I want to.

:Alright. I'll tell her.

:what about Charon? Did you tell him.

:Raetsel will. I'm sure.

:don't you want to tell him yourself?

Ahiru got a call from a cousin and picked it up, Pique liked to talk a lot, so the conversation lasted a long time, but Ahiru made a half decent excuse and hung up on Pique.

Fakir still hadn't texted back.

:Are you free saturday?

She smiled.

:classes are done after five.

:Raetsel will be in town for the week.

Ahiru laid down on the couch, her stuffie under her chin.

By Saturday, she had told all her classes about her pregnancy and that once it got too difficult, she would have to give her classes over to Rue, and she was telling her last class this when Fakir came in.

This was an older class, typically reserved for those over the age of nine and who were coming from a pre-pointe class into a pointe class.

"So I'll be taking maternity leave in six months." She grinned at them and they seemed happy, as happy as preteen girls could be for their teacher, when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, that's Fakir."

"Who's Fakir?" A student asked, but she only smiled at them.

"Fakir!" Ahiru beamed, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Fakir this is my class, class this is Fakir."

The girls were stunned to silence. "Wait is that your boyfriend?" Well, almost silence.

"I'm the father." Fakir answered, although it was probably best to not delve too deep into the relationship they shared with a bunch of young girls.

"Wow, Ms. Ahiru!"

The younger ones seemed shy of him, his face always seemed angry unless he put effort into it, while the older girls couldn't quell their giggles.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

She nodded, changing while the girls were picked up by their mothers.

"Bye Miss. Ahiru." One said, waving her hand good-bye as she was pulled away by her mother, still young enough to not care about being seen holding her mother's hand.

Ahiru smiled and waved, but when she looked over at Fakir, it was made blatantly obvious that he had been watching her.

"You're good with them." He said.

Ahiru nodded. "They're good students, most of them have been coming here since they could walk."

"C'mon." He said, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her to his car, where he opened the door until she sat down, and he did the same, later that night when he took her home.

"I like Raetsel!" Ahiru said, holding a box of leftovers in her lap. "She's very pretty."

Fakir started the car and shook his head. "She's only like that now because you just met her, but she'll start meddling if you're not careful."

"Well I think she's wonderful."

Little was said about Raetsel after that, but they did have a pleasant conversation about a few names.

Fakir had some picked out, some he tested on Ahiru to see her reaction, and she didn't like many of them, but then again she didn't have a name picked out either.

"Lohengrin."

"Lohengrin?" She said, rolling the name over her tongue. "Like the opera?"

Fakir nodded.

"Alright, Lohengrin if it's a boy, and if it's a girl?"

He tried a couple, even throwing his mother's name in there, but she didn't seem to like any of them.

"It doesn't feel right." She pouted, looking down at her belly which still wasn't showing.

"What about… Uzura?"

"Uzura?" She said again, with the same contemplation she gave Lohengrin, rolling it around with her tongue, savoring it. "What does it mean?"

"Quail."

"Oh!" Ahiru sighed, before nodding. "Yes. I like those two."

"Lohen, for short."

Ahiru smiled.

Being pregnant was harder than she thought it would be.

Soon, her clothes didn't fit, and any shoe she wore, no matter how much padding it had made her uncomfortable.

It would bring her to the brink of tears that her favorite yellow top was too tight, and that her shoes pinched her toes, and she thought she was turning into a duck the way she waddled everywhere.

Rue decided to make it up to her.

:Why don't we go shopping? We'll buy everything you want. You need some cute maternity clothes.

Ahiru sighed.

:Why can't I just have yours? Both of you have been pregnant already.

:Oh no.

Raetsel said.

:My clothes would be ridiculously large on you, you forget how tall I am compared to you.

:And mine aren't really your taste.

Rue was right, the clothes she wore and the ones Ahiru favored were very different, she'd never want to wear any of it.

:but I don't want you to buy me anything! :c

:Too bad.

Rue said.

:You don't have a choice anymore.

Raetsel agreed.

And that afternoon, they went to the mall and visited as many shops as they could before Ahiru's feet gave out.

"Wait here." Rue said to Ahiru. "Raetsel, come with me. You know what he likes." She whispered into her ear.

Raetsel giggled. "We'll return shortly, Ahiru, just wait out here."

She didn't wait long, opting to text Fakir while she waited.

They were back with a bag from the lingerie store and thrusted into Ahiru's hands.

"And something to wear after it's all over."

She looked inside, her fingers scraping against the lace and silk before closing the bag in a heated blush.

"And just who am I supposed to wear these for?"

"Fakir of course." Raetsel snickered.

"We're- It's not like that!"

"Yet." Rue said.

And Ahiru would have chased them out of the mall if her feet weren't already swollen.

That night, in a cold sweat, she bolted out of bed and went to her kitchen, in search of turnips but was mortified by the fact that her fridge was completely bare.

Maybe…

Maybe Fakir would have some.

:do you have turnips?

She sat down at the table, waiting for his response when she looked at the time and saw that it was nearly three in the morning.

:nevermind go back to sleep!

:No, I don't, but I can get some.

:you can?

:It's one of your cravings, right?

:...yes

:I'll be over soon.

There was a knock at the door and he entered, carrying a brown bag stuffed to the top with turnips.

"Where- how did you-"

He cleared his throat. "My neighbor has a garden on the roof. She told me if you ever had a craving, I could go up there."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

"It doesn't matter." He came in and shut the door behind him. "How do you want these cooked?"

She smiled.

Every night was like that, and soon he posed the idea of him moving in.

"Oh." She said. At her table. At one in the morning. After having woken him up for sun dried tomatoes.

"I mean- I don't want to pressure you into this, but I'm over here every night anyway and-"

"No, I mean, why don't I move in with you?"

"What?"

"Yeah, you're apartment is close to the studio and the duck pond. Your neighbor has the garden, and it's bigger than my place."

He sighed. "Only if you want to."

"I do."

"No, Pique, I'm moving out." Ahiru shook her head, rubbing her temples, the phone hot against her ear and cheek. She really should have started taking the car rides both Fakir and Mytho offered her, but she had to be stubborn and insisted that walking home was a great idea, what with her swollen feet, aching back, and protruding belly. "And moving in with Fakir, what's so hard for you to understand?"

"You're not even dating! Isn't it weird?"

"It's already weird that he's the father of my child." She said, and groaned when she came face to face with the sign on her elevator that read: broken. "Gotta go, I have to use the stairs."

Up she climbed, to the third floor, and opened her apartment to complete darkness and then a flash of light.

"Surprise!"

Ahiru smiled and was taken inside by the hands of her aunties and cousins, paraded about, her stomach poked and rubbed and prodded.

It was a babyshower.

A surprise babyshower.

She texted Fakir.

:sos

:What?

:my entire family is inside my apartment. I'm having a babyshower. They put the gifts on top of the boxes.

"Oh look at you. How much extra weight have you gained? I only gained an additional three pounds when I had my precious Alec. Fifteen?"

"Um-"

"Your apartment is a mess, dear! How do you keep track of everything?"

"Oh, well I'm moving out soon, so it's all packed."

"When is the last time you cooked something, this kitchen is spotless and I know it's not because of your superior cleaning skills!"

"Well, actually Fakir comes and-"

Someone grabbed her hand. "And he still hasn't proposed, this generation has lost all their manners."

"He's very polite to me-"

"How do you expect to raise a family without a husband, dear?"

"He's still going to be apart of their life-"

"Their? You don't know the gender of the baby?"

"No, not yet, I wanted to keep it a surprise."

Ahiru excused herself and locked the bathroom door.

"Oh God." Her bottom lip trembled, and she wiped at her eyes. "Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Breath." she groaned, and turned on the faucet, splashing her face with water.

:At least they're showing support.

:How's the party going?

:Are you alright?

:Ahiru?

The first and last an hour apart, she felt horrible for ignoring him, making her lip tremble again.

"Fakir?" She asked, she didn't even have to wait for the phone to finish ringing once before he picked up.

"Ahiru? Are you okay?"

She shook her head but then realized he couldn't see her. "My family's here."

He was silent for a moment, and maybe she thought she was rubbing it in his face. Her large family filled with aunts and uncles and cousins while he only had two people to cling to. "Oh Fakir, I'm-"

"I can come get you."

"You- you can?"

"Yes. Just give me a few minutes."

She nodded. "Okay."

"It'll be alright. I'll be there soon." and hung up.

Ahiru finished drying her tears before she left the bathroom.

:Go to your room.

Ahiru smiled as she passed by old relatives, excusing herself to her bedroom before she locked the door behind her.

Her room was quiet, and she breathed a sigh of relief, until there was a knock at her window.

She nearly screamed, her heart racing, but saw that it was only Fakir.

Standing at her window.

She grinned and went over to him.

"Open it." He said, through the glass, and she did. "C'mon, let's get you out of here." He offered her a hand and whisked her away.

He took her home and when he opened the door Raetsel and Charon were there, a plain cake sat on the table and they had quickly wrapped presents on either side of them.

On the table were a few babyshower games she recognized, only horribly butchered, using only what was offered in his apartment.

Ahiru spun around to face him.

"I'm sorry it's so last minute, I was planning one but then you told me your family threw you one and I thought it was unnecessary now, and then you called, and you were crying, and I- you're smiling."

Ahiru nodded, beaming up at him, tears flowing freely done her face.

"And you're crying again." He said softly, he lifted a hand and wiped at her cheek.

"I am." She jumped into his arms, her own holding fast to his neck, and burrowing her nose into the crook of it. "Thank you."

"Ahem."

Ahiru let go. "You must be Charon." She walked to the man who stood at the table, a crib was next to him, covered in a few strips of wrapping paper, with a bow placed on it.

"I am, and I made this for you." He took her hand in his. "I didn't have time to package it properly. Fakir only gave me, what, ten minutes?"

"You made this for me?" Ahiru asked, her eyes wide as she laid her hand on the smoothly carved oak.

"I did."

Ahiru's cheeks hurt from smiling, but she couldn't help it. None of her aunties would ever go through so much trouble.

"Ahiru, this is my family." Fakir said. His eyes met Charon's and Raetsel's, and his voice was full of pride.

"Welcome to the family." Charon said. "It's about time we grew a little."

"Hans couldn't come." Raetsel said, squeezing Ahiru tight. "But he wanted to give you this." She pulled out a peach blanket, the ends falling into tassels. "It was the blanket his grandmother made for him, the blanket he used for my son, and now it's yours."

Ahiru felt a tear roll down her cheek as she hugged the blanket to her chest. "Thank you."

Rue and Mytho came shortly after, with their own poorly wrapped gift and they all sat down to eat the plain grocery store cake, but Ahiru couldn't have been happier.

Under the table, a hand touched hers and she grabbed it, threading her fingers between his, and holding it tight, hoping it was enough to convey how happy she was.

How right her world was.

She was late.

She should have expected it.

She was always late, but as a second week past her due date she was starting to get worried.

"Somethings wrong!" She told Fakir at breakfast.

"Nothing's wrong." He told her. Placing in front of her a pile of waffles, the only thing she could stomach so early in the morning. "You're just overdue."

"But- but!"

"Calm down, nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."

"Okay."

"We can always schedule a c-section, we'll have to, anyway, if you go over a month."

"I want to do it naturally. With drugs."

Fakir nodded, "With drugs. Of course."

"What's one way to cause it?"

"We're not going to induce labor, Ahiru."

"Why not? Why can't we?"

Fakir sighed. "Just be patient, the baby will come whenever they're ready."

She whined, sinking into her seat, but it only caused a tremendous pain to flare up in her spine. "Ow."

"Are you okay."

"Yes, it's nothin- Ow!" Ahiru sat up, her face twisting into a painful grimace when the pain engulfed her entire lower abdomen. Before it stopped. "Oh. See? I'm fine."

"Idiot, that was a contraction." He said, before taking another bite.

She pouted, before what he had said really hit her ears and she stood. "A contraction! We have to go to the hospital then!"

"Only when they're a few minutes apart."

"Oh." She sat back down, waiting for the next one to hit, but when it did, Fakir had already cleared the table.

And it was a long day, it wasn't until that evening that they were even close enough together to warrant them leaving the house.

"You have everything?" She asked, holding her stomach while Fakir carried the overnight bags.

"Yes. I checked."

"Okay." She leaned against the wall. "That one was sooner."

He was calm, irrationally, horribly, irritatingly calm.

"I'm dying and you're not even slightly panicked!"

He rolled his eyes. "You're not dying."

"It feels like it."

"Someone has to stay calm." He told her.

She took a moment to look at him, to examine the features she become so familiar with, before her vision blurred and she grabbed the car's door.

She felt a hand on her leg and without opening her eyes, took it, and squeezed hard, as if it would transfer her pain into him.

"Hurry."

"I am." He said. "Look, we're here."

She opened her eyes, and just as the contraction passed he parked.

"I'll go get a nurse and get you a wheelchair." He said, leaving her in the car and running to the hospital doors.

"I can walk." She said. Opening the door and getting out, even reaching into the back and pulling out their large duffle bag. She slung it onto her shoulder and shut the door behind her, just in time to see Fakir rushing back out with a nurse hot on his trail.

Fakir ran faster until he reached her, taking hold of her arm. "Idiot, what if you started a contraction in the middle of the road?"

"Then I would have gotten run over and this would all be over."

The nurse caught up to them, huffing and puffing before he had Ahiru sit down.

"How far apart are the contractions?" He asked.

"Three minutes." Fakir said.

"Oh! Fakir, call Rue!"

"Right." He said, pulling out his phone as they rushed back inside, getting met by a myriad of nurses and doctors until the familiar face of their doctor appeared.

"Edel." Ahiru breathed in relief. "I was so worried something was wrong-"

Edel smiled and pet her head. "It's natural for a mother to worry, but it's almost over."

But it wasn't.

Ahiru was placed in a large room, hooked up to a heart monitor and she was given drugs, Fakir had been sent out to get ice chips, but it wasn't until dawn that she was ready.

Rue, Mytho, and Fakir went in and out of her room, switching every few hours, and Fakir made them both promise they would come and get him when the pushing started, but until they returned, he paced, wearing a hole in the floor.

"Is she…?" He would ask them, only for them to shake their heads.

Raetsel and Charon came soon, too, promising that they would only each go say hi to Ahiru so as not to keep Fakir away from her.

"She'll be fine. She's doing fine!" Raetsel said when she came back, brushing back the hair from his eyes.

"Fakir!" Rue called, running down the hall, taking off the purple rubber bracelet that gave her entrance to the ward and handed it to Fakir. "It's time."

He raced back, nearly slipping on the hospital tile.

"Where's Fakir?" Ahiru asked, already sweating and tired. "Rue said she was getting Fakir."

"Ahiru!" Fakir burst into the room and took her hand. "Are you alright?"

Ahiru grinned up at him, but soon that turned into an expression of pain and her hold on his hand became excruciating.

"Baby's crowning!" Edel said.

"Fakir." Ahiru said through gritted teeth.

"I'm here."

She screamed, filling the room with its volume.

Fakir grit his teeth, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "It's almost over."

She didn't respond, and he wondered if she could even hear him.

"Push! Good job, Ahiru, push one more time."

There was a cry and Ahiru gasped, she opened her eyes and tried to find her baby.

"Fakir." She said, her voice gone, but he still heard her.

He took a step forward and looked at their doctor, holding in her arms, their-

"It's a boy." She smiled. "A healthy baby boy."

Edel stood and came around the side of the bed. Ahiru's arms went up instantly and brought her son to her chest.

He was filthy, covered in slime and mucus, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Fakir sat down beside her, his arm going around her shoulder, and his hand raising to touch his son's cheek.

"Lohengrin." She said. Ahiru leaned against Fakir's chest. "Look at him."

Fakir rested his cheek on top of her head. "Lohengrin."

She tilted her head to look up at him, and he kissed her sweaty temple. "I love you." He said.

She twisted as best as she could, maneuvered Lohengrin in her arms until her head was placed underneath Fakir's jaw. "I know."


	2. Bedding

"I think that went very well." Ahiru said, laughing as she took off her jewelry, every piece except for the ring on her left ring finger.

"He's gotten better at opening presents." Fakir agreed, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched Ahiru.

Today was Lohengrin's first birthday, so of course they had a party with all of her aunties and a ton of presents. Lohengrin's nursery was now filled with toys.

"But his favorite thing to play with is still that toy piano." Ahiru looked down at her ring, she swore she'd never take it off, and she was determined not to lose it.

She had done pretty well so far.

"How old is that thing?"

"Well it was mine when I was a baby." Ahiru sighed as she kicked off her heels.

Fakir hummed before he stood, sliding off the bed and coming to stand behind Ahiru, his hand slowly wrapped around her middle, pressing her against him, while his other hand ran over her collar bones. He kissed her cheek before whispering into her ear. "We should try for another baby."

Ahiru let her head tilt, giving his mouth more access. "We're not even married yet."

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize you swore abstinence." The hand on her collar bones grazed lower over her chest, dipping below the hem of her top, before coming back out. "Or that the ring I put on your finger was a purity ring." He took her earlobe into his mouth as his hand went down to completely cover her breast.

Ahiru moaned, her eyes fluttering shut. After being together for a year, Fakir was well versed in what his touch could do to her, and which touches gave the best reactions, which ones made her squirm, which ones made her start to pant, which ones started her moaning, moaning out his name.

Her hand darted out behind her, running her fingers into the strands of his hair and she pulled lightly, making him break away from her neck so that he would place his lips on hers.

The hand on her waist went to remove her top but she pulled away, breaking from their kiss and his intoxicating touch on her breast.

"Who told you you could do that?"

"Wasn't it you? I thought the sound of your fastened breath was a hint."

She giggled, pulling his hands to her waist, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair, she stood on tiptoes, her lips brushing against his. "I think you should stop before you get ahead of yourself."

She kissed his jaw rather than his two lips before pushing him away. She took off the cardigan she wore and tossed it to the side before she lead him to the bed. Gently, she pushed Fakir again and he fell back on the bed.

Ahiru put her hands on either side of him, and slide her knee up his outer thigh. "Lay down."

"As you command." He said, his hand gentle on her face before he lay back on the bed, his head on a pillow while she crawled over him.

She sat on his waist and started removing his clothes, unbuttoning his buttons, but at a painstakingly slow pace. Her fingers brushing over his exposed skin. He kicked off his shoes, letting them fall off the bed as Ahiru opened the last button, her hands splayed over his stomach, her fingers ran up his chest until she got to his shoulders and she pushed the fabric off.

So close to him, he caught her chin and tried to kiss her but she pulled away.

"That's hardly fair." He said, his hands moving to caress her thighs.

"It's not supposed to be." Ahiru smiled, and giggled slightly, leaning into his chest before planting kisses all over him. She sat back up, slowly taking the pins from her hair, letting it fall around her face. His hands went higher up until the tips of his fingers grasped at her panties.

Ahiru lifted herself off his chest and pushed herself away until she sat on his thighs, her hands making quick work of his belt and the button and the zipper.

"And that's hardly fair." His hand shot to the back of her head and he sat up, trying to kiss her but she dodged, and his lips planted on her chest. She scooted up until she straddled his lap and she made a slow circle, and she grinned when he groaned against her chest. Ahiru reached back and pulled his pants down until he was able to kick them off himself and she looked down to admire her work.

"You started this." She said, she made another circle with her hips, this one quicker. "I'd say this is more than fair."

He laid back down and Ahiru leaned over him, her hands on the outside of his arms, he wrapped his hands around her wrists, running up to caress her shoulder, she made another thrust with her hips, and when he had a solid grip on her wrists, he flipped her over.

She gasped lightly, her hands pinned against her head with Fakir now smirking over her.

"This is much better." He bent down and sucked on her neck.

She gasped. "Fakir." Her back arched into him.

He sucked harder before biting her skin and letting her go. He licked her neck up to her ear. "I'll make sure you never do that again."

"What?" Ahiru moved her leg and rubbed her thigh against his bulge. "Have fun?"

He chuckled darkly, "Let's just even out the playing field, shall we?" He held her wrists in one hand, and with the other pushed up her shirt, and his hand cupped her breast, still trapped by her bra. He moved his knee, pressing it roughly against her center.

He let go of her hands for a moment, and vainly she tried to push against him, and he pulled her top over her head before throwing it to the ground, his hand wrapped around her back, pushing her chest against his as he removed her bra.

Fakir reclaimed her hands, forcing them above her head as his mouth laid claim on her chest.

"Fakir." She said, her voice breathy, her eyes fluttering closed, her back arching. "Let me go."

"No." He said, his breath hot against the wet spot on her chest.

She struggled to pull her wrist out, grunting as she did, his free hand attacking her other nipple, teasingly pinching and twisting before his whole hand covered her breast, molding and pushing.

Ahiru moaned, throwing her head back as her hips thrust against his leg.

She was finally able to slip one hand out of his hold and immediately took hold of the shaft still blocked by his boxers.

He groaned against her chest, before biting lightly on her breast. "I don't think I told you you could touch me." His voice getting more throaty with each stroke she gave him.

"Wasn't it obvious?" She teased, biting her lip as she made her strokes faster before stopping, her hand moved up to the band of his boxers and started to tug them.

"Oh no you don't." He pulled her hand away before he pushed her up until her shoulders pressed against the headboard. Fakir unzipped her skirt and pulled it off, throwing it to the side to join her top.

Gently, he ran his fingers over the top of her panties, tracing down to a spot that was wetter than the rest, and with one finger, pressed just the tip of his finger inside of her, the fabric of her panties the only thing stopping him from touching her completely and going deeper.

His eyes shot up to hers and he watched her hungry gaze as he hooked his finger around the fabric, the back of his finger pressing against her wet folds.

"So, what do you say." He slowly started pulling, watching as her lips parted, as her eyes started to flutter closed, her chest heaving. "Want a bigger family?"

"Please."

"Louder." He said, pulling off her underwear completely and he saw all of her, but his eyes were still locked on her face.

"Please." She said, her hands grasping at the sheets around her, her legs were starting to tremble, experiencing withdrawals.

"What was that?" He licked her folds, the tip of his tongue just barely dipping inside of her.

"Please! Please, Fakir."

"That's what I thought."

She threw her head against the wall and bit her lip to stop herself from screaming as his tongue entered her carven and devoured her.

Ahiru wrapped her legs around his head, shoving his mouth closer, and her hands grasped at the headboard. "Fakir!"

He removed his tongue from inside her, making languid swirls around her, sucking her clit before diving back inside of her.

"Fakir!" Ahiru panted, "I- I need you inside of me."

"I am inside of you." He pressed his lips to her.

"Please."

Her hips started moving of their own will and he chuckled against her. He lifted himself off the mattress and pulled her legs until she was back under him and pressed his lips roughly to hers.

He caught her bottom lip with his teeth as he reached down to remove his boxers, the last piece of fabric separating them.

Ahiru's hands moved over his warm skin, her chest pressing against his.

"Do you want this?" He asked.

Ahiru heaved, her hands grasped his face. "Yes, yes I do. Please."

The head of his penis pressed against her teasingly before he thrust himself inside of her.

Their moans tangled together, they stayed still for a moment, but not long. Ahiru wrapped her legs around his legs and started moving herself on and off of him.

He met her with his own hips, unable to stop his mouth from claiming her throat, leaving small kisses and nips as his hips grew faster and her breaths more rapid.

His hands sought hers, and he threaded his fingers through hers, pressing her hands into the pillow.

Every noise she made drove him mad, his movements growing harder, filled with lust and wild abandon.

She moaned his name one last time and he felt her walls tighten around him and with a groan, he came inside of her.

Fakir panted as he pulled himself out of her, brushing the bangs out of her sweaty face as she smiled up at him in bliss.

"Oh wow." She said.

Fakir snickered, pressing his nose against her neck and she started giggling.

He lifted his head to gaze at her, and her hands shot into his hair, her thumbs going over his cheekbones until he grabbed one of her hands and brought it to his mouth.

"I think you left a couple marks, Fakir."

"Oh no, whatever will you do." He lowered a hand, the tips of his fingers skittering over the red marks he left on her neck, her collar bones, and breasts.

"What will my coworkers think of me?"

Fakir scoffed. "If Mytho or Rue say anything about it I'll kill them."

"I'll have to-" She started, but was cut off as the baby monitor told them someone was having a fit.

Ahiru groaned and Fakir rolled off her. "Well I'm not going." She said. "I couldn't move even if I wanted to."

"Oh I'm sure." Fakir sat up, looking for his boxers.

"I think I'll have some bruises down there too."

He looked down, his hand running over her stomach, her thigh. "Maybe you should take tomorrow off, rest a while."

"Oh so you'll have me all to yourself?"

He leaned over her, a dark look in his eyes. "Would that be so bad?" His lips brushed against hers.

Lohengrin cried louder and Fakir pulled away, walking out of their shared room to perform his fatherly duties.

He came back, finding Ahiru lightly wrapped up in the sheets, already asleep. He chuckled, turning off the lights before joining her.


End file.
